


Old adventure

by TFALokiwriter



Series: AU of Star Trek 2009 with Prime Bones,Scotty, and Spock meddling [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Redemption, Scalos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 13:57:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5746756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A old adventure revisited, quite literately, this time to save the career of someone so well known and known both at the same time. It has never been so urgent to visit a planet with species advanced into time and technology. This . . . is a old adventure revisited. Revised, you might say for a new generation.</p><p>Started: 1/17/2016.</p><p>Completed: 1/19/2016.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Challenge

It had been six months since James T. Kirk was washed out of the academy. Kirk was approached, a day afterward, by a old man with a mustache on his ride to Iowa, Riverside. The man had a white shirt with a black vest with various pockets and dark pants with a red stripe going down at the side of the pant leg. The conversation they had was rather interesting. The man was definitely Scottish, and sometimes he said "ay" which was odd as _'ay'_ was often used on the ship much to his knowledge by the ones assigned there.

_"By the way,where are you goin', lad?" The Scottish man said._

_"Home, back to  Iowa." Kirk said._

_"And?" The Scottish man asked._

_"Mind the store." Kirk said._

_"Nae, you don't. Whatever happened to the fightin' spirit?" The Scottish man asked, apparently curious._

_"A Vulcan squashed it."  Kirk said._

_"Then unsquash it, captain!"  The Scottish man faked a cough. "I meant, unsquash it, lad."_

_Kirk raised an eyebrow._

_"I am no captain," Kirk said, lowering his eyebrow. "Never was meant to be one."_

_Kirk lowered his eyebrow looking down toward his hands._

_"Nonsense!" The Scottish man said. "You are young and I see you could have had the spirit to lead a whole squadron."  
_

_"You don't know me that well." Kirk said.  
_

_"Ay, wish I did nae." The  Scottish man said.  
_

_Kirk raised his head up._

_"Huh?" Kirk asked.  
_

_"I knew someone like you a long time ago, more bold, stubborn, and compassionate," The Scottish man said. "He was nae a diplomatic kind of lad. He was the kind who shot their way out. That's the spirit of my days. Oh, the golden days." The Scottish man had a smile. "He was the greatest captain in the fleet. I would follow him tae hell or heaven if he asked.  He had the loyalty of all the crew, all seven hundred eighty of them." He patted on his vest. "But most of all, he had_ _my loyalty. Ship cannae run without her chief engineer."  
_

_"What was his name?" Kirk asked._

_The Scottish man smiled._

_"Classified, captain classified,"  The Scottish man said. "You are tae. . lost. . . of that fightin' spirit tae be told right now."_

_"I can't go back to the academy," Kirk said."I was_ expelled _."_

_"There are other avenues, you know, in tae Star Fleet," The Scottish man said. "Such as the medical corps, engineer corps, the security corps,  and the science corps."_

_"The only way I am getting on a ship is through the corps." Kirk said._

_"Ay, that's the attitude!" The Scottish man patted Kirk on the shoulder._

_"And I take it your name is classified, too?" Kirk asked, with the smallest of all smiles._

_"Ay." The Scottish man said, with a nod._

_"Just my luck," Kirk said, with a sigh. "How do I get the trust of others to even lead?"_

_"Savin' their lives." The Scottish man said._

_Kirk looked over toward the Scottish man._

_"What?" Kirk asked, with raised eyebrows._

_"Savin' their lives." The Scottish man sad.  
_

_"I am no hero." Kirk said._

_"Nae is everyone is made to be a hero," The Scottish man said. "Anyone can be a hero.  Even the messed up lads."_

_The vehicle came to a stop._

_"That is wise." Kirk said._

_"This is my stop," The Scottish man said. "Good luck, Mr Kirk."_

_"Goodbye, classified." Kirk said._

_The Scottish man walked out of the vehicle onto the street. Kirk looked over to see a star fleet badge on the seat beside him. Kirk picked it up into his hand. It felt lightweight and metal, hard, so distinguished that it seemed to be a device capable of being tapped on. Kirk flipped it over then back on its  balanced end. It was advanced for its size. He was about to say something when the doors closed. Kirk's hands closed around the star fleet symbol._

_"I dare you to do better than your father." Pike had once told Kirk._

_And now, this was a 'I dare you tae get yourself on a starship' challenge laid by a old Scottish man._

_Kirk accepted that challenge.  
_

And now Kirk was getting on a shuttle headed to a starship, grinning, hopeful that he could right his wrong by making a whole new impression on Star Fleet.


	2. Heading to a starship

"Hello, Ensign Chekov."

Chekov looked up from his pad toward the source of the voice. It was Commander Spock, first officer, first Vulcan straight out of the academy, sitting down beside him,Chekov nearly dropped his padd because of the sight of Mr Spock and only caught the padd with his legs. The Vulcan raised his eyebrow up as the man caught his bearings. Puzzling, to see a young boy be out of the academy this early.

Chekov flashed a smile picking up the padd into his hands. 

"Hello, Mr Spock," Chekov said, as his passenger a female Deltan was reading a paperback book with her legs folded. "My apologies, you caught me off guard."

"I did not intend to be that way toward you, Ensign." Spock said.

Chekov sighed,turning his attention back toward the padd.

"Did you hear about zhe defeat of Nero?" Chekov asked. "Zhe sources say a old Wulcan aided in zhe end and zhe Romulan was ranting about changelings." He looked away from the padd as Spock buckled himself in. "Do you know vhat a changeling is?"

"Negative," Spock said. "We have never come across such species before."

"I hope to one day meet Zhem!" Chekov said, beaming brightly. "Zhey must be a interesting species," He looked up toward the ceiling. "And have awesome navigational consoles." He turned his head back toward the Vulcan. "Similar to zhe ones I have worked on but more sleeker!"

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow.

"What if they are not any different?" Spock asked.

"Zhen I will ask if zhey know about Nero and vhy he was ranting about zhem,"  Chekov said. "Or I might as well learn if zhe navigational systems are any different."

"I am afraid those changelings may not have any good input about him," Spock said, earning a raised eyebrow from Chekov. "He has no record what-so-ever in this universe except for the attack on the USS Klevin. Klingons had no idea who he was." Chekov lowered his eyebrow. "Romulans declined any involvement with him. Vulcans have no idea who he was. Logically, he came from another galaxy that has a exact copy of these changelings and they are not aware their problem is gone."

"Interesting zheory, Mr Spock,"  Chekov said. "Sounds better zhan zhe crazy ones on zhe galactic wifi forums."

"Most of those theories are illogical." Spock said.

Chekov nodded.

"Yes, zhey are," Chekov said. "How does it feel to be assigned to zhe _Enterprise_?"

"Vulcans do not feel." Spock said.

"Oh, right," Chekov rubbed his forehead. "I forgot about zhat." Chekov lowered his hand. "It has been almost a hundred years since a _Enterprise_ flew into space."

"Were you assigned to this ship at such a young age?" Spock asked.

"Yes, Mr Spock." Chekov said.

"Fascinating." Spock said.

"I am interning for a month and zhen I am going back to my studies at the academy." Chekov said.

"But you just said you were assigned." Spock said, raising an arched eyebrow.

"Zemporary."  Chekov said.

Spock lowered his arched eyebrow.

"You are a puzzling human being." Spock said.

Chekov shook his head, amused.

"We are a puzzling race, Mr  Spock." Chekov said, returning his attention to the padd.

The shuttle craft lifted off into the sky leaving behind two older men at the side lines. One had a new cane in his hand shielding his eyes looking up with a smile. There were other shuttle crafts headed up there. It felt right. A much taller older Vulcan came to his side. There were was a look of worry and most of all unsure in those eyes. The doctor looked over toward the Vulcan's direction lowering his hand.

"They're going to be all right, Spock." Bones Prime said. 

"I hope this plan will work." Spock Prime said.

"We selectively got all our friends assigned to that ship," Bones Prime said. " _It is_ going to work!"

Spock  Prime looked over toward Bones Prime.

"Somehow, Leonard, I believe . . ." Spock Prime said. "It might just fail."

"Spock," Bones Prime said. "We got the brightest minds and the best of the best up there. Just because Christopher Pike was assigned does not mean it is going to fail."

"No, I am more concerned about Deela." Spock  Prime said.

"Oh," Bones Prime said. "Oooh, _that_ woman Jim talked about."

"Affirmative." Spock Prime said.

"You are afraid he is going to stay with her instead of taking the bait." Bones Prime said.

"Afirmative." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime raised an eyebrow, looking at Spock  Prime, curiously.

"Why so scared right now?" Bones Prime asked.  "You were practically arguing with me to spill the beans about Scalos!"

"It hinges on my counterpart's involvement," Spock Prime said. "All of it . . . including Jim's counterpart."

"If it goes the way you predicted, it'll go smoothly, Spock." Bones Prime said, reassuringly.

"There is a seventy-six point twenty-nine percent chance that our plan will go without a hitch." Spock Prime said.

"And the twenty-three point seventy one percent chance indicates it will not," Bones Prime said. "Our chances are against the idea of it failing. Jim won't fall for her. He never did fall for women who were forcing him to chose his ship and his friends over the woman's motives."

Spock Prime had a smile.

"He always did." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime nodded. 

"They will make the right choice," Bones Prime said. "I can feel it in my bones."

Spock Prime watched the last ship vanish into the atmosphere.

 _Good luck, Jim_ , Spock Prime thought.

 


	3. On a starship

"Mr Spock," Pike said. "Welcome aboard."

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow at the bridge that seemed to be redesigned since the last time he had stepped in. Pike was in his chair  facing the screen that displayed Earth. He saw there being a empty science station. He had been applied for both science officer and first officer. In the academy he studied science learning more about it than he had on Vulcan. He did not get teased that often by his Vulcan heritage that often as he had at the Vulcan school.

It was fascinating how Pike knew it was Spock who came in over the dozen so other people who could have walked in and be greeted by his name when their names were not Spock. It would make a average human laugh at the idea of Pike saying Spock's name to a unsuspecting officer.

"Thank you, captain." Spock replied.

And then Spock noticed his former student Nyota Uhura, his love interest, at the communications station.

That was odd.

Spock had his hands behind his back heading to his station.

"Captain, where are we going to first?" Spock asked, eeriely feeling as though the destination was already set before he came on aboard the ship.

"Scalos." Pike said.

"I never heard of the planet." Spock said.

"Apparently a distress call was sent and Star Fleet got wind of it," Pike replied. "We are going to investigate it and then, afterwards, we will go on exploring the universe. The main mission of this ship for five years." He looked over toward Spock. "Are you prepared for five years in space?"

"Affirmative." Spock replied.

* * *

"Lieutenant Kirk?" Gary Michell asked, his eyes wide.

"Hello, Gary." Kirk said as they were in the hallway.

"Woah, you are a _lieutenant_?" Gary asked, noting the arm bands on the cuff. "But you were kicked out of the academy."

Kirk grinned.

"Security corps," Kirk said. "I didn't know I had it in me to protect people until I went in."

Gary raised his eyebrows.

"Where the hell have you been for the past six months?" Gary asked.

"I was on the USS _Yorktown_ where I served as a security ensign," Kirk said. "It was easy with the training. Be observant, be wary, and have your hands on your phaser at all times."

Gary lowered his eyebrows.

"Tell me, what kind of hell did you go through?" Gary asked.

"On the _Yorktown_ , we were constantly running into danger," Kirk said. "And the worst part is people kept dying around me, people I served with, there was no miracles. I only got to become lieutenant because I dragged the captain and the commander out of danger last week from a Romulan attack. I had to request a emergency beaming and . . ."

"And?" Gary asked.

"I got a prosthetic  arm." Kirk rolled up his sleeve to reveal his synthetic pale skin.

Gary's eyes widened.

"No way!" Gary said.

"Blew my communicator out of my elbow thanks to their disruptors." Kirk said, rolling down his sleeve.

"So you are on the arm  replacement list?" Gary asked.

"Affirmative."  Kirk said.

"That takes a year to do." Gary noted.

"All they needed was a scan of my arm and my DNA," Kirk said. "I will be good as new in no time."

"Jim, you need your physical." Came a familiar voice from behind Kirk.

Kirk turned around, brighter than he had been prior, apparently glad to see his old roommate again.

"Bones!" Kirk said, grabbing the man's shoulders. "I thought I wouldn't see you again."'

"And here I thought you were thinking of sending me gift cards." Bones said. 

"I was going to do that but I have been busy." Kirk said, as Bones sent Gary a glare.

Gary walked away.

"You should have come to Med Bay rather than avoid it." Bone said.

Kirk let go of Bones shoulder.

"I have not been avoiding the med bay." Kirk said.

"It has been three weeks since you lost your arm, damn it Jim!" Bones said. "Have you been sleeping?"  He narrowed his eyes. "You haven't been sleeping."

"Why yes I have." Kirk said.

"You got baggy eyes." Bones said.

"No,I do not." Kirk said.

"Come on, Jim," Bones grabbed Kirk by the collar. "You are getting your physical."


	4. Going to Scalos

Exactly twenty-four hours afterwards, Lieutenant Kirk had become fully rested this time without a nightmare that his efforts to ensure the senior officers of the landing party got to safety. Instead, it ended with him returning to the ship only with the loss of three fellow officers. Nine red shirts died in his previous dreams including the commander and the first officer but not this. There was the engineer at the transporter consoles.

"Say, what is your name?" Kirk asked.

The man looked familiar, if only he had a mustache and white hair.

"Montgomery Scott, though my friends call me Scotty," Scotty said. _So that is your name_ , Kirk thought. "Say, are you the kid who was kicked out the academy?"

"Yes," Kirk said. _So my achievements outside the academy are not well known?_ , Kirk thought becoming saddened by the mere thought.  "That I am."

"And you are a security officer?" Scotty asked.

Kirk nodded.

"Lieutenant." Kirk said.

Scotty's jaw dropped.

"Ay, that fast?" Scotty asked, raising his jaw back up.

Kirk had a small smile on his face.

It was the kind that was strange to the Scottsman. It was sad, not the proud kind of one a man would usually see on a accomplished young man who worked his butt off to get here. Scotty raised a eyebrow at the young man. It was the kind that he would usually see on a person who is about to go on their last errand. But this wasn't his last, that Scotty knew, it was one of many.

"Not really." Kirk said.

Kirk turned away to the transporter pad then walked over to the other conversing red shirts changing his mood on the spot. Scotty lowered down an eyebrow. The doors gently whoshed open for Bones, Captain Pike, and Commander Spock. The three red shirts got on the the transporter lined up. Captain Pike got on his phaser belt as did Spock. Spock had his tricorder over his shoulder.

"Mr Scott," Pike said. "Have you set the coordinates to the surface?"

"Ay, captain." Scotty said.

Bones got on the transporter pad noticing a different kind of mood on  Kirk's face.

It was strange, to see from a man he knew quite so well.

"Are you all right, Jim?" Bones asked. 

Kirk's eyes landed on Bones as though he was a transparent figure.

"I am fine, Bones." Kirk replied.

Spock looked over to see the lieutenant, the one who got kicked out of the academy, on the transporter pad. Spock had a bewildered look set about his face.  It was a intriguing discovery for the Vulcan. Naturally someone who got kicked out of the academy wouldn't just find themselves on a ship in six months, three days, two hours and thirty-six minutes. Kirk turned his head away, his eyes not landing on a figure. It was almost like he was out of it. In a daze, as a expert would say, just going through life.  It was like he had been shot at the chest and he lost his dignity. Where did his dignity go?

Spock looked over toward Pike.

"Captain, I thought he was expelled."  Spock said. 

"Who?" Pike asked.

"Cadet Kirk." Spock said.

"Oh, you mean the lieutenant?" Pike raised his eyebrows. "He saved a friend of mine from fatal death three weeks ago losing his arm in the process." Pike said, lowering his eyebrows. "Jake said he's a pretty good officer. I was surprised as you were to find him assigned on _a_ starship. Then again, he is a _Kirk_."

"Captain, it seems he is not paying attention to anything."  Spock said.

"He just was assigned to his second ship," Pike said. "He used to serve on the older constitution class." The two boarded the transporter.  "Energise."

Bones was looking in the direction of Kirk with  a concerned look about his face.


	5. Scalos

The landing party materialized to the surface in the middle of a empty street where hovercars were on the road left leaning on their sides. Spock turned on his tricorder scanning for any differences that the Enterprise could not. Kirk became more aware of his surroundings. Figures became solid. People were not transparent talking figures that had words coming out. Kirk heard a buzzing around his ears which was loud and quite annoying. Kirk shook his head.

"We will find the ones who sent the distress call," Pike said. "Doctor, you go with the lieutenant and commander  to the post office. The others and I will span out the search."

Kirk could sense, strangely, that there were people who were not there all around him.

"Post officer closed down decades ago," Bones said. "Why would anyone go there."

"Safety from threats." Pike said.

The group split up into two.

The buzzing returned to Kirk's ears.

"What the hell?" Kirk said, smacking the side of his ear.

Spock ignored that phrase.

"Mosquitoes do that to you." Bones said, as they went into the post office.

"Fascinating." Spock said.

Kirk noticed there were tables over turned, there were skeletons laid about with tatters of clothing, there were spider webs. There was dust all over the place. Spock put on a pair of gloves then turned on what was apparently a twenty second century computer with a screen dotted by a green diagram. The Vulcan carefully activated a program. It felt eerily familiar. It was like he had done this before, of course, he hadn't come across a planet like this on the Yorktown. Kirk opened the closet door where a body headed his direction. He stepped aside letting it collapse with a thud. Rats came out. White and black rats. There were three of them.

"Yuck." Kirk said.

The buzzing returned.

 **S-Smack**!

"There are no mosquitoes inside the building, lieutenant." Came Spock's voice.

Kirk looked into the room to see other curled up skeletons that appeared to be protecting one another, most of which were children and adults. Kirk could see there being a broken widow shattered into pieces. There were burn marks all over the place. Kirk didn't notice the sound of Spock approaching to his direction as he covered his mouth feeling a disgusting feeling traveling up from his stomach to the throat.

"Lieutenant?" Spock asked.

Kirk darted by, and then he puked what he had eaten for lunch outside. Spock looked in to see the dead skeletons. The Vulcan raised an eyebrow, half out of surprise, half in disgust, and half in fascination. Bones came over to see what the fuss was all about. Bones stopped in his tracks feeling horrified to see a sorry ass sight.

"Oh god." Bones said.

"It appears there was a nuclear event that wiped most of the populace out." Spock noted.

Spock left outside where Kirk was getting a grip on himself. He was trembling, leaning over, his eyes closed. It indicated to Spock that Kirk hadn't been around on missions to planets such as these. If he were human he would have patted on the man's shoulder telling him they must have died without feeling pain or something along the lines of comfort. But he was a Vulcan. Vulcans do not feel.

"You have not encountered a Class M planet like this before?" Spock asked, raising a arched eyebrow with his hands behind his back.

"No," Kirk said. "Never in this manner." Kirk straightened himself then he glared at the Vulcan. Spock lowered his eyebrow. "If you bring my father again in that way you did at the trial then god have mercy on you."

"Why would a nonexistent god have mercy on me?" Spock asked.

Kirk sighed.

"You are a wall I cannot move." Kirk said.

"I fail to see how I am like a wall." Spock said.

Kirk turned his head away from Spock.

"One day you will understand, Mr Spock," Kirk said, briefly closing his eyes counting to ten under his breath. "Two. . . three. . four. . five. . six. . . seven. . eight. . . nine. . .ten."

"Why are you counting to ten?" Spock asked.

"I am doing everything I can to not punch you at your perfect face," Kirk said. "No one uses my father like that." He looked over to Spock. His crystal blue eyes became daggers. "If we are going to work together then get this straight between us. We do not bring up our parents as weapons against each other. Do not talk about my arm. Do not talk about Kobyashi Maru."

Spock raised an eyebrow.

"Why talk about your arm?" Spock asked.

Kirk sighed.

"You have missed the point." Kirk said.

Spock lowered his eyebrow.

"You wish to not talk about the parent who was never there," Spock said. "One who you are competing against."

"I am not competing against my dead father." Kirk said, his voice clearly indicating anger.

Kirk heard that same annoying buzzing sound close to his ear.

**S-Smack!**

"If you say so." Spock said.

**S-Smack!**

"Should I get the doctor about your ear?" Spock asked.

**S-Smack**

"No, it is fine." Kirk said.

**S-smack.**

"Lieutenant, you might be having a heari. . . ng. . pra-blem-" Spock's speech became slower and slower as the seconds ticked by. "Lie-" His right hand slowly started to reach forwards in the direction of Kirk. "Lieu. . . ten. . a. . . n. . .t!"

And then Spock was frozen, his hand outreached, his words becoming slower and slower until nothing was out. He slowly was slowing his arm. There was a mix of emotions on the Vulcan's face. The concern and confused state was replaced by a stoic one was his arm lowered down to his side, _slow_ , very slowly.

"Mr Spock?" Kirk asked, waving his hands in Spock's vision. "Mr Spoock!" He pinched the Vulcan's neck. Kirk was generally confused, folding his arms, with a frown. "Um, can you please stop standing there and talk to me?" No response came from the Vulcan who's eyes were changing direction from where Kirk stood. "Commander!" He folded his arms. "This is not funny. I didn't know Vulcans had a sense of humor!"

Kirk stepped back rubbing his chin.

"He cannot hear you." Came a woman's voice.

Kirk felt a hand wrap around his shoulder and he looked over to see a woman, a gorgeous woman, with blonde curly hair resting on her shoulders with a garment on her forearms that had a latch of some form. She had a smile on her face. She had a pink and white uniform along with a jewel below her neck. She had a smile that could kill. There was something about that made Kirk forget about Star Fleet for that moment. Forget about the recent six months of his life. Forget about everything that this stupid Vulcan made him go through.

"Hello,Lieutenant, my name is Deela," Deela said. "Queen of the Scalosians and you are my king."

The word 'King' sunk in faster than she would have expected.

"No!" Kirk shoved her away. "I am no king!"

"You can not go back to the life you lived." Deela said.

"What do you mean?" Kirk asked.

Deela smiled.

"You can _never_ go back to normal time, besides, if you tried. . . It would kill you." She came a step forwards toward Kirk. "It would take hours for these people to move."

"Mr Spock is a Vulcan."Kirk said.

"He is a person and he cannot move as you are accellerated in time, hyper mode," Deela said. "You will aid in the restoration of our civilization. You are only hope."

"I am not a _HERO_!" Kirk said. "I am no captain, I am no king! I tried to be a hero and look what that got me!"

"It got you here." Deela said.

Kirk sighed.

"Are there others like you?" Kirk asked.

"Twenty-two," Deela said. "We must re-plenty our gene pool . . . Our males are sterile because of the radiation."

"Let me think about this." Kirk said.

"You have your entire life to think about this," Deela said. "And your friends will join us when it is convenient for them."

Kirk kept his cool as he stared at her, in all regards, in his serious position.

 _No_ , Kirk thought.

"I have to make my own choice." Kirk said.

Kirk went into the post office.

"And I will be waiting." Deela said.


	6. Missing officers

"Lieutenant, you might be having a hearing problem," Spock said. His eyes caught the sight of  a flash coming to from Kirk. He reached his arm out toward the blonde man who seemed to be clueless as to what was happening. "Lieutenant!"

Spock stepped forward  toward the space where Kirk had once stood. He lowered his arm then looked around,stoically, expecting for the human to be beamed back down. Spock heard a buzzing around himself which was odd. He hadn't heard the buzzing earlier. Spock resisted the urge to smack whatever was making that buzzing sound.

"Lieutenant?" Spock called.

Spock turned away then walked into the post office.

"Doctor McCoy," Spock said. Bones looked up from the skeleton. "Lieutenant Kirk has just vanished into thin air."

Bones raised an eyebrow.

"A human doesn't just vanish in thin air," Bones said. "Perhaps he beamed himself up."

Spock took out his communicator.

"Mr Scott," Spock said. "Has Lieutenant Kirk been beamed aboard?"

"Nae," Scotty said. "Haven't heard a word from him."

Spock suddenly fell over landing on his side and he felt what seemed like a fist had landed on his cheek.

"Thank you, Mr Scott," Spock got up. "Spock out."

Spock shut the communicator.

"Now, that is odd." Bones said.

Spock looked in the direction that a punch could have been thrown.

"Lietenant," Spock said. "If you are here, show--" The next second that passed Spock's tricorder was on the floor. "Fascinating."

Bones stood up from the skeleton.

"What is going on, Mr Spock?" Bones asked.

"I do not know." Spock said.

"Uh, Jim, show me a sign." Bones said.

In the dust on the untoppled desk was: ' _You are speaking slowly, short hand, please._ '  Spock raised an arched eyebrow, puzzled, by how he can speak short hand. In the dust was then written with _'I meant. . . MR, SPOCK, CALL ME: JIM. THEY WANT ME--_ " and the last part was cut off. Spock lowered an eyebrow at the capital letters. Spock aimed his tricorder at the dust that had been parted. Spock raised it toward his eyesight.

"Readings indicate human cells recently have been placed here." Spock said.

"The dust is gone." Bones said.

Spock looked over to see the dust had vanished on the table. He could feel something sharp place itself against his skin right in the shoulder. Spock heard a shout, "Okay, I won't tell them!" which was odd. It was Kirk's voice. Kirk sounded as though he were restrained and afraid. Kirk sounded close by. The sharp metal was no longer placed against his skin and Spock relaxed. Spock looked over toward Bones.

"Did you hear Kirk?" Spock asked.

"No." Bones said.

"How odd." Spock noted.

Spock looked over to see several sets of shoe prints, one set were boots and the others were shoes. The shoe set of prints were around the boot set. He noticed a smaller set of boot prints beside him that could belong to a woman's set of boots. When Spock blinked the dust was all but gone on the floor. 

"And you heard Jim when I did not." Bones said.

"Affirmative." Spock said.

"I don't understand," Bones said. "That is impossible. He cannot be dead. Jim's not the kind to just vanish and die."

"Correct, Doctor McCoy," Spock said.  "Perhaps he left a sign of his well being."

Spock looked around the building for signs of dust. It took him around thirteen minutes search.  He was coming down the stairs when he saw a graffiti on the wall reading ' _I am alive, I am alive so high, that not even a Vulcan can pull me down_ ' with colorful decorations including the star fleet symbol. If Spock were human he would have laughed at that. It was illogical to laugh for a Vulcan.

Spock recorded the evidence into his tricorder. He looked down to see a couple of empty spray cans. Spock scanned the  spray cans using his tricorder which also picked up human skin cells belonging to Lieutenant James T. Kirk currently missing. Spock went back downstairs, deeply troubled and confused, trying to find the logic with this. Time had to be connected with this.  That was a logical assumption. Time must be different to the Lieutenant in where he is. Somehow, the Lieutenant was swept into a different time zone.

Fourteen minutes later, they regrouped back on the sidewalk.

"Mr Spock,where is the Lieutenant?" Pike asked.

Spock noticed the team lacked one security Ensign other than Kirk.

"He has vanished." Spock said.

**S--Smack!**

"Doctor McCoy?" Pike asked.

"Just a mosquito," Bones said. "And I haven't seen the kid after we got here."

**S-Smack!**

"Ensign?" Spock asked.

**S-Smack!**

"Mosquito." Ensign Richard Jelice said.

"Hey, where is Ensign Sarah?" Bones asked.

Pike and Jelice looked over to see that Ensign Sarah was not there. Spock raised up an eyebrow at the unusual occurrence then he lowered it down. Pike and Jelice turned their heads away. Pike appeared to have  a grim expression on his face. He flipped out his communicator,"Mr Scott, four to beam up." He flipped his communicator shut as he could hear the sound of buzzing. The group vanished in a haze of gold leaving the scenery behind.


	7. Technology gets messages across

"Spock, I was told you to give this to you after Jim vanishes for an hour," Bones said, handing a small item to the Vulcan. "And that might clear some things up, which I am unsure what that is. Kirk's on it. Just a little bit older."

Spock looked down toward the holo-emitter then back to Bones.

"Time traveler gave this to you?"  Spock asked.

"You can say that." Bones said, then he walked past the Vulcan.

Spock went into the briefing room then he tapped a button and a moving holographic figure appeared on the screen singing, his eyes were hazel, his hair was brown, and he looked to be about sixty. He was in a red, black, and white uniform with the star fleet insignia on his chest. He had some resemblance to Lieutenant Kirk. That voice.

_"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you . . ." The man stopped singing, with a grin. "I know I know, it is illogical to celebrate something you had nothing to do with, but I haven't had the chance to congratulate you on your appointment to the ambassadorship so I decided to seize the occasion. . . Bravo, Spock-- they tell me your first mission will take you away for awhile, so I'll be the first to wish you good luck . . . and to say. . ." He paused flicking off a tear as he got emotional. "I miss you, old friend."_

His staccato speaking style was different to Lieutenant Kirk.

It was illogical to be touched by  a older man he barely knew.

_"I suppose I’d always imagined us… outgrowing Starfleet together. Watching life swing us into our Emeritus years… I look around at the new cadets now and can’t help thinking… has it really been so long? Wasn’t it only yesterday we stepped onto the Enterprise as boys? That I had to prove to the crew I deserved command… and their respect?" There was a twinkle in the older man's eyes. "I know what you’d say — ‘It’s their turn now, Jim…’ And of course you’re right… but it got me thinking: Who’s to say we can’t go one more round?"_

Spock raised an eyebrow.

One last round?

Could he mean another shot serving alongside Ambassador  Spock?

Logically, yes.

_"By the last tally, only twenty five percent of the galaxy’s been chartered… I’d call that negligent. Criminal even — an invitation. You once said being a starship captain was my first, best destiny… if that’s true, then yours is to be by my side. If there’s any true logic to the universe… we’ll end up on that bridge again someday." The older Jim stopped with a grin. There was warmth, comfort, loyalty, and friendship all in this transmission. A deeply embedded one. It was almost as though he had paused intentionally to say the part that meant the most. "Admit it, Spock. For people like us, the journey itself… is home."_

And the holographic projection ended sizzling back into the small device.

Spock was lost in the feelings that was flooding through him. If this belonging belonged to his counterpart that could only mean that his counterpart, Ambassador Spock, was here in this time. It was logical to deduce he may have had some hand in the assigning of Uhura and Kirk. Spock placed the item into his pocket then he got up from the chair, stepped aside, and pushed it in.

Spock walked out of the briefing room.

* * *

Seconds were Scalosian minutes.

Minutes were Scalosian hours.

Hours were Scalosian days.

Days were Scalosian weeks.

Weeks were Scalosian months.

Months were Scalosian years.

At least that is how Lieutenant Kirk figured this. It was certainly unpleasing to spend his second day aboard the _Enterprise_ stuck in another time zone. He was in his quarters, pillow over his face, frustrated and both at once irritated with his current predicament. A noise came from his right prosthetic arm. Kirk got upright letting the fall down onto his lap. Kirk took his shirt off and tossed it onto the left hand side of the bed. Kirk took the metal strap off around his shoulder then slid it down and which he did to the other strap that acted as a latch into the skin with a sharp needle. Kirk closed his eyes as he took it out. 

"So this is your quarters." Came Deela.

Kirk sighed, sliding off the prosthetic arm.

"Yes," Kirk said. "It is."

Deela frowned.

"What is wrong with your arm?" Deela asked.

"This is a prosthetic kind," Kirk said. "It is made out of titanium."

Deela sat down alongside the young lieutenant eyeing at the stump.

"I asked what was wrong with your arm." Deela said.

"I lost it." Kirk said.

"You can't just lose  a arm." Deela said.

"It was disrupted off." Kirk said,

"Transporter malfunction?" Deela said.

Kirk laughed.

"Nah," Kirk said, bringing the prosthetic arm then opened the forearm where it revealed a panel of wires and buttons, and one glowing blue screen. "I lost it thanks to some Romulans firing at my landing party. I sprung into action, dragged my commanding officer and commander out of harms way, and requested a emergency beam up. After I made the request, I was shot at." Kirk briefly closed his eyes, shuddering at the memory, lowering his head down. "Captain Hanks was grateful for me." Kirk opened his eyes. "He gave me a glowing review." He looked at the screen then he put the arm on the bed. "Which got me assigned here."

"How couragous." Deela said.

"Huh?" Kirk said.

"You risked your life to save the lives of others. Not many people do that. You lost a part of yourself to save others. You obviously care about the lives of others. I cannot  fathom the idea that you wouldn't be there to save mine. You are my consort, one with a herioc streak." Kirk shook his head muttering, "Only once." And she turned his head toward her direction. "Hush, do not be negative on yourself." She traced along the side of his face. "Rael will be here soon. The ladies are choosing their consorts too."

Kirk took her free hand.

"Why are the male sterile?" Kirk asked.

"Radiation. We are accelerated in time, as I said, a long time ago we had a fall out with radiation." Kirk let go of her hand. "Many of us were able to be spared from the most deadly affects by hiding and accelerating ourselves at a cost." Her hand traced along Kirk's chest. "To ever come back. Have you made your decision?"

The doors wooshed open to reveal Bones.

"Bones!"  Kirk shouted, taking her to the side. He had a smile on his face seeing his friend who wasn't capable of moving. "Bones, I am here!" He waved his free hand in Bones direction. "This is Lieutenant Kirk to Doctor McCoy, can you hear me?" Bones slowly walked forward toward the table his eyes landing on a frame of George Kirk and Winona on the USS Kelvin. "Bones--"

Bones looked over his shoulder, hearing that buzzing sound, then back toward the picture frame.

"J. . . i. . . m. . ." Kirk was getting irritated. "I. . . h. . . o. . . p. . e. . . y.  . . o. . . u. . . c. . . o. . . . m. . . e. . . b. . . a. . . c. . . k."

Deela looked down toward the screen of the prosthetic arm taking in the information. She cocked up an eyebrow at the direction of Kirk, confused, most definitely. She stood up then approached the man holding his prosthetic arm.

"What does this mean?" Deela asked.

Kirk's shoulders lowered as he turned toward the confused woman. He looked over toward the arm then back to Deela. Kirk sighed. He had to deal with this prosthetic arm for three weeks and getting adjusted to the technobabble it came with was uneasy. It wouldn't make sense to her if he told her about it in great detail so he went down to the point.

"It needs repairs." Kirk said. 

"You said  this was titanium." Deela said.

"Yeah, I did." Kirk said.

"Then how come it is in our time when it is not organic?" Deela asked.

"Not. . . organic?" Kirk said, puzzled.

"Organisms have a sense of time and this is not a organism." Deela said.

Kirk yanked the arm out of her hand then he pressed a few buttons and placed it on the table making the middle finger stand out. Kirk had a grin on his face then he turned back toward Deela with a smile.

"I have made my choice." Kirk said.

Deela appeared to be hopeful.

"You will be my consort?" Deela asked.

Kirk drew Deela  near with his left arm.

"Yes." Kirk said.

* * *

Bones froze seeing a arm on the table with a middle finger up. He frowned turning around, asking out loud, "Jim, what kind of game are you playing?" Only to notice he is alone in the room. The hard reality came crashing down upon Bones. He briefly  closed his eyes. He looked back at the arm then picked it up turning it over. He saw the organic mode had been turned off.

Bones pressed a button.

It read: _Goodbye, d0ct0r_.

Bones smiled.

D0ct0r was their secret code for ' _I am getting out of this mess_ '.  It also meant that someone may be reading whatever he may be writing to get a message across. Bones paused, contemplating the story that the three old men had told him six months ago. Regarding a ensign who died to save Jim's life, about the woman who dosed Jim's cup, about the man who adored the woman,and about the cure which the men did not specify how it was made. Kirk was currently with Deela. It had occurred to Bones that Kirk was with Deela.

So soon?

No wonder Bones Prime was reluctant.

Things were very different in this universe.


	8. A ghost story

_"Okay, Spock, let's try chess again." Jim said._

_"I do not see the point, you have won." Spock Prime said._

_"Spock, it helps with your memory skills," Jim said. "Your father recommended it, and Bones agrees it will be beneficial to your hands to do something else other than play with a square triangle puzzle."_

_"That helps with our emotions." Spock Prime said._

_Jim and Spock Prime cleared the board, placing their respective chess pieces back in their original pieces. This was the Vulcan's version of chess with different objects in the place of what humans were familiar to. They were rounded and had unusual shapes that were animal like in nature. Jim made his first move._

_"Your turn, Spock." Jim said._

_Spock tapped on his chin looking down toward the black chess pieces._

_"I don't see the point." Spock Prime said._

_"When you win, that's when you have recovered all of chess memories." Jim said._

_Spock Prime raised an arched eyebrow._

_"Captain--" Spock Prime started to say._

_"Admiral." Jim caught Spock Prime, with his arms folded._

_"Admiral, my memories are a bit unorganized at the time," Spock Prime said. "Chess is only going to make it more cluttered."_

_Jim did not seem to be convinced._

_"I have defeated you for three rounds," Jim said, holding his three fingers up. "If I were told thirty years ago that I would be making conversation while playing chess to make a friend win, I would have laughed, and I am not laughing right now. You should be winning, and me winning feels very wrong."_

_Spock Prime slid forward a chess piece._

_"So you are implying that you are more used to losing than winning in chess against me?" Spock Prime asked._

_"Yes, Mr Spock." Jim moved his chess piece forwards. "That is the meaning of this game."_

_Spock Prime raised an arched eyebrow then he lowered it._

_"Puzzling." Spock Prime said, moving his chess piece forward and caught one of Jim's chess pieces._

_"Yes!" Jim said._

_Spock Prime  was baffled._

_"You happy to lose one of your chess pieces . . . illogical." Spock Prime said._

_"That's a move you made on me thirty years ago on the three dimensional chess." Jim said._

_"You still remember that?" Spock Prime asked._

_"It was the day we went into the galactic barrier." Jim said, quite fondly._

_A feeling of recognition came into Spock Prime's head._

_"Gary Michell." Spock Prime said._

_Jim nodded._

_"What happened to him?"_

_"He had to die. He was possessed by a godly being."_

_"We have come across many of them."_

_"Yes, that we did . . ."_

_Jim made his move_.

_"Did?"_

_"It ended. That mission we had. We went our separate ways."_

_"Did we keep in contact?"_

_"No, we didn't."_

_"Why?"_

_Jim looked up in the direction of Spock._

_"I never knew why. . ." Jim cleared his throat then he made his next move after Spock Prime had. "Spock . . . I never told you this. I have been mulling it over. It was a random thought I had. Scalos." Spock Prime raised his head up moving his chess  piece in a different direction. "If I hadn't been captain and we weren't that much of 'friends', I could have stayed back there or died." He rubbed his chin. "Died as a crew member. I could have been a security officer, a engineer, a science officer, a doctor, or a nurse. We wouldn't have the friendship we had then because Science does not usually work a lot with security. For two seconds I considered being her consort and I refused then. I would have fallen for  Deela if I had been at the lowest point in my life. I could have doomed the entire ship. Nobody would have gone for me as you did. No one. She made me think how lucky I was to have friends such as you and Bones. What I am trying to say is: thank you for being my friend.  Thank you for going after me."_

_"Jim, you are very concerned of something that is not in your control." Spock Prime noted.  
_

_Jim had a smug smile at first then he shook his head._

_"Sometimes I play with the idea, Spock," Jim said as Spock Prime captured his white piece. "Half of the time it ends with you not noticing me, lamenting my death as a security officer, or not knowing you that well."_

_"Lamenting your death as a security officer?" Spock Prime asked._

_"Red shirts died a lot on our missions." Jim said._

_Spock Prime had a peculiar look._

_"I remember that." Spock  Prime said._

_"And it could have been a friendship not like this," Jim said. "Something small and insignificant."_

_"You are a significant part of my life,Jim," Spock Prime noted. "I fail to see how you will be insignificant on any path of life your other selves could have lived."_

_"The only way we would, in that kind of lifetime, get our golden friendship is by a outside external source." Jim said._

_"Perhaps you are right," Spock Prime said. "But your destiny is on the bridge."_

_"Somehow I would find myself there," Jim said. "Always." He looked up toward Spock Prime. "I know you are always going to be there for me, in any path of life, and I will be there for you. Somehow. Someway."_

_Spock Prime caught Jim's queen._

_"Check mate." Spock Prime said._

_Jim grinned._

_"Two months and  two days," Jim said. "About time you won."_

Spock Prime awoke from his sleep. He walked out of the room in his Vulcan attire, even though he was on Earth, he went out  to the porch. It was dark far as the eye could see. He saw a chess board on the table across from the outside bench. Spock Prime carefully picked it up then put it on the square table he sat at. It had all the chess pieces, black and white, all lined in their little respective order.

Spock Prime moved his chess piece.

Spock Prime looked at the sky.

He felt a little homesick.

Homesick for the _Enterprise._ The _Enterprise_ he served on for five years. The ship they went through hell with, to the past, to the future, and to the present. They had gone through more then a average human can share. He had forged a deep trust and friendship with most of the bridge crew. Spock Prime heard what sounded to be a chess piece sliding. The stars were twinkling in the sky. Stars that were burning balls of fire slowly dimming down or already have dimmed down and their light will take millions of years to vanish until perfect night. Until the planet is consumed by the sun of course. Maybe never will the stars vanish, they had a tendency to become illogical.

Spock Prime looked over toward the chess board.

"Fascinating." Spock Prime said, moving his chess piece.

The Vulcan watched a white chess piece move forwards.

Spock Prime raised an eyebrow.

In thirty-two minutes, the white queen only had three of her protective chess pieces surrounding her. The third chess piece moved forwards, and Spock Prime gently kicked it off the chess board using his piece making it land on the side of the counter. Spock  Prime looked up where he thoughts saw a familiar young face grinning back right at him. The face faded before Spock Prime's eyes, followed by the familiar voice, " _You win, Mr Spock_." Spock Prime easily took out the queen.

"Checkmate." Spock Prime said.

It was apparent that Spock Prime was playing chess with a ghost.

"Why, Spock, why are you up so early?" Came Bones Prime leaning against the doorway raising an eyebrow.

"I was playing chess with a ghost." Spock Prime said.

"Ah, a ghost really?" Bones Prime asked.

Spock Prime looked over sadly toward Bones Prime.

"I believe it was Jim." Spock Prime said.

"He's not dead in this timeline," Bones Prime said. "Ghosts can't follow us from reality to reality."

Spock Prime lowered his head with a sigh.

"So I was playing against my own mind?" Spock Prime asked.

". . . Spock, that's not what I meant," Bones Prime said. "Surely, you must have been playing against _a_ ghost, but not. . . you know, we would be aware if Jim was haunting us."

Spock  Prime raised his head up looking over toward Bones Prime.

"He would have left a sign." Spock Prime said.

"Exactly." Bones Prime said.

"So do you believe in ghosts, Leonard?" Spock Prime asked,

"Yes," Bones Prime said. "Always have, I told you  that. Remember?"

"Negative," Spock Prime said. "I d. . . I do not remember." His face turned into concern. "I have an eidetic memory, I _should_ remember that."

Bones Prime put one hand on Spock Prime's shoulder.

"We are not young men, anymore," Bones Prime said, in a low voice. "Spock."

"I hope this does not affect my memories of Jim." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime took his hand off Spock  Prime's shoulder.

"It is four fifty-five AM in the morning," Bones Prime said. "We are not going to have a _grouchy_ Vulcan when we go to the fair."

"What fair?" Spock Prime asked.

"The Georgian Xenology fair," Bones Prime said. "It has a lot of aliens and fun, you'll like it!  You are going to take a nap, get your beauty sleep, and I am going to read some of those medical journals. You should wake up at five thirty-two not . . . this early."

"I do not get grouchy." Spock Prime protested.

"The hell you do," Bones Prime said. "You do not think right when grouchy. I should be the grouchy one in this house!"

Spock Prime had a short tired laugh and his eyes slowly drifted to a close.

Bones Prime helped the Vulcan up and guided him back into the house. The dark screen door shut behind them gently. Bones Prime's cane made light taps on the wood. The Vulcan made a comment about 'My station is unattended' and Bones Prime replied with a 'you don't have a station, Spock, the new station is the kids station' which he believed didn't make sense in itself. Eventually Bones Prime came out of the house,and he looked down to see the chessboard had been reorganized except for the white queen. It was on the chair Spock Prime sat in.

Bones  Prime picked up the chess piece then put it on the board and returned it to where it had been placed hours ago. He had a eerie feeling that someone was sitting in the rocking chair alongside the door beside where Spock had sat in. It was rocking back and forth, probably because of the wind, which was a reasonable explanation. Sure, Bones Prime _did_ believe in ghosts, but this one had the most logical reason.  Bones Prime put one hand on the rocking chair and he narrowed his eyes. His eyes were old and not as they used to be. He even squinted his eyes.

Nothing.

Nada.

He did not see anything.

"I am creeping myself out believing in these ghost stories." Bones Prime said,  letting go of the rocking chair.

Bones Prime opened the screen door, went inside, and closed the second door behind him.

The rocking chair resumed rocking back and forth as our view backtracked. In the darkness we can see a figure with a bright yellow shirt sitting in the rocking chair with Caucasian skin. Now if someone tried to approach him or her, the figure would vanish out of sight. Some teenagers, who went past the house that night on the way home, would claim they saw a captain waving back at them but they could not see his face. They would come back that morning to discover three old men lived in there and not one was a captain. The rocking chair, though, would not move. Not until the three old men would come back. 

And again the teenagers would see the figure in broad daylight wave at them as they passed. They couldn't see his face which was odd. They did know he had a hand. He had a head. He had a torso. He had legs. He had shoes. From then, rumors spread that the house was haunted, but not really, it was the front porch that was haunted.  Every time, at night or day when the three men were home, when anyone drove by the house they would see a captain wave at them and they would wave back. The three old men would raise eyebrows, but mostly the Vulcan's eyebrows raised the highest, whenever the story was told to them.

A ghost story that stuck to the house for generations to come long after the three men passed away and the figure had vanished.

Possibly because he was waiting for them.

Some people theorized that's exactly what the ghost was doing.

Biding his time.

Waiting.

But to the present now, it was a intriguing story that perplexed the three old men.


	9. The captain joins

Kirk awoke finding himself in bed with Deela who had her arm on his hairy chest and her other arm wrapped around his shoulder to his neck. Kirk could still feel his phantom limb wanting to reach out and have it wrapped around her cozied up against him. Kirk sighed, realizing what the hell he just got himself into. He had sex with Deela. Pure, hot, sex that wasn't all that Kirk had been adjusted to in his time in the academy. There was no passion. No . . .  feeling to it. The rich feeling that made him want to have it again.

Kirk snaked his way out of Deela's grip.

He found his boxers and got them on first, he then put his dark regular shirt on, put on his long dark socks,put on his black jeans, got his red his uniform on and pulled it down with one hand. He curled up his right sleeve up above the elbow, pressing against the folds. He saw that his hand was not in the room. For some reason being armless reminded him of Anikan Skywalker and Luke Skywalker only there is no force. He looked over to see that Deela was already getting dressed.

 _God_ , Kirk thought, _I hope she gets pregnant to help her species survive. If not  . . . I will never hear the last of her_.

"Why put on a uniform to what you do not work for?" Deela asked, brushing her hair with a comb.

Kirk froze.

"Well?" Deela asked, standing up from the edge of the bed lowering her comb down.

Kirk sighed.

"Because . . ." Kirk said. "I want to prove to Star Fleet just because they kicked me out does not mean I won't try again."

"And you already got in." Deela said.

"Why yes." Kirkn said.

"Shouldn't you just give up the shirt?" Deela asked.

"No," Kirk said. Deela frowned. "You see Deela. . . Long as we are on the ship, I am still employed by the security  corps." Kirk noticed his breath was easily seen in the air. "Deela?. . ." He looked over toward Deela in concern. "What the hell are you doing to my ship?"

"We are cyrostasising them." Deela said.

Kirk stood up.

"You could just ASK!" Kirk said. "Why freeze everyone? Why? Why?" He shook his fist. "That is not right." He lowered his fist down to his side. "If you do that, preserving everyone against their will, no one will be happy!" He pointed at himself. "I won't be happy with you. In fact I won't forgive you if you did go on with this."

"We have a lady interested in your captain. Young, sleek, and ready to carry a baby." Deela said.

"No!' Kirk shouted. "You have gone over the line. Anyone but him."

"And the one you call a Vulcan?" Deela asked.

"He does not belong here, on Scalos, or on this ship frozen," Kirk said, He grabbed her by the shoulder. "Do you understand how many rights you are violating?"

"None." Deela said.

Kirk frowned, narrowing his eyes toward her.

"Many." Kirk said, letting of her shoulder.

Kirk headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Deela asked.

"The bridge!" Kirk said. "Someone has to make sure he doesn't get accelerated in time."

The doors closed behind Kirk.

"Oh dear." Deela said.

* * *

**. . . The bridge. . .**

**. . . Three minutes later. . .**

"Thank you, Yeoman." Pike said, taking the cup from the tray.

Yeoman Janice Rand had been assigned to the starship. She smiled back, with a nod then went over to Lieutenant Uhura where she allowed Uhura to take a cup with a "Thank you,Rand." Spock was at his station studying the atmosphere of Scalos  that indicated it was a safe environment to live on contrary to the evidence that had been discovered. He inputted the information his tricorder had retrieved and checked for the disappearance act that Lieutenant Kirk had done.  He saw at the left shoulder the lieutenant's fabric went in wards making a circular shape. As though someone were injecting him. Shortly afterward he vanished.

Pike took a sip of the cup then he placed it in the cup holder.

Spock turned away from the screen.

"Captain," Spock said. "It seems that Lieutenant Kirk was injected with a unknown substance that made him vanish, quite possibly into another timezone."

Pike raised an eyebrow.

"Another time zone?" Pike asked.

"Affirmative," Spock said. "When we communicated with him through the dust, he mentioned we were talking slowly. Negative, Yeoman." Rand went over to Chekov. Pike had his eyebrow raised. "I was able to reasonably deduce due to the shoe prints and specific that the lieutenant was prevented from explaining his current situation. Captain, do we have a recording of the distress call?"

"That we do," Pike said. "Lietenant Uhura."

"Yes, sir." Uhura said.

Pike took a sip of his drink with Spock's eyes rested on him, and then turned toward the view screen. The screen came up with a group of strange individuals. They talked about their planet being ranked at seven on the industrial scale how their civilization went down from eleven thousand to twenty-two and how they desperately needed help.  Pike looked over toward Spock, confused.

"This does not make sense," Pike said. "There was no one there."

"Maybe there were," Spock said. "And we are not hearing them."

Pike rubbed his chin.

"Lieutenant Uhura, please accelerate the recording," Pike said, followed by "Yes, captain." The screen sizzled as the voice became rapid. It sounded familiar. "Faster."  Their voices became jumbled up. "Faster." Until it sounded like they sounded like buzzing insects. "This is . . . Unusual."

"Affirmative." Spock said.

Pike picked up the cup and took a sip.

"Captain," Spock started to say. Pike put down the cup into the cup holder. "I believe we should make contac-t wi. . th. . the. . civiliza. . . shun. . ." Pike looked over toward Spock. "C. . . a. . . p. . . t. . . a. . . i. . . n."

"Rael, no!" Came Lieutenant Kirk's voice.

"Step aside, Lieutenant." Came a man's voice.

Kirk stepped in the way of the older man headed in the direction of Uhura.

"I won't allow that," Kirk said. "You already have five people hyper-accelerated! Isn't that enough?"

"Lieutenant?"  Pike turned in the direction of Kirk.

Uhura faced in the captain's face, her face full of shock and disbelief. She was frozen in time, her hand on the communications console. Her face was turning into confusion. The man stood toe to toe with the shorter but younger Lieutenant boldly standing in the way. Kirk was not replying, his eyes on the target, his hand clenched. Pike noticed Kirks right sleeve was rolled up right where the stump had ended.

Yeoman Rand slowly turned in the direction at the captain's chair.

"You lack one arm." Rael said.

"I have taken down a man without one arm." Kirk said.

"Phasers don't work. They abide the laws of physics." Rael said.

Kirk looked over toward the captain.

"Welcome to our time zone, captain,"  Kirk said. "Well," His eyes darted in the direction of the man he was blocking. "Rael, it seems that you are in luck." A familiar grin grew on Kirk's face.  "Fren has dosed the captain's cup, now go talk to him about bringing in the females of this ship to your level."

Rael turned in the direction of Pike with a look of disgust.

"This man is your lieutenant?" Rael asked.

"Yes, he is," Pike said. "Mr Rael, are you the leader?"

And in came Deela.

"That would be me," Deela said, with a garment of some kind on her forearm. She had a smile on her face then walked over toward Kirk. "And my consort."

Pike's face turned white as he looked over toward Kirk.

"Lieutenant, what is going on here?" Pike demanded an answer.

Kirk sighed.

"I am not at the liberty to say," Kirk said. "She can do that."

Spock was heading in the direction of Uhura and he out-reached his arm in the line of her cup. Uhura seemed to be puzzled looking in the direction of Spock, who was in the process of saying: "We must get rid of all the cups except for Pikes. Someone might attempt to accelerate us into their timezone, logically. We must make a cure." He picked up the cup then dumped it into the trash can, his fingers two front side fingers brushing along her two dark fingers.

"Zhe captain is on zhe bridge?" Chekov said.

"Affirmative," Spock said. "But time is going remarkably faster for them." He picked up the cup in Pike's holder and headed toward the door. "And if anyone is feeling cold at the moment, turn the heat up ten degrees on the bridge," Uhura rubbed her shoulders noticing her breath clearly in the air. "Mr Sulu, you have the Conn."

Spock went into the turbo lift where it closed and he made the request to sickbay floor.


	10. Environmental

Kirk snatched back his arm once the technicians had halfway completed the task. He tapped on the button making a very special mode activate. He went over to the cure being made in progress. He opened a compartment to the titanium arm sliding in a drop. Once it landed in the fuel supply the de-accelerator should replicate. The young man looked in the direction of Spock and then to Bones coming to a decision.

The cure was halfway done.

This had to work.

Kirk returned to the environmental room seeing a machine hooked into the panels and the other parts of the system. Pike did not seem to be pleased. Ensign Sarah, had on her dark matching outfit without the red shirt.  Her hands were interlaced in the much larger hands of Fran. Kirk knew the risks of his plan. He knew  this would cost in the loss of his prosthetic arm and that it was a very stupid move, as Bones would say.

"You see, we are doing it for the safety of our race." Rael said.

"What about ours?" Pike asked. "Do we not have a say? If you want our help you could have specified. We could have created a cure for you, one stable, better than the one you have created that has so far failed."

"Rael," Kirk said. "You have few people who are willing to stay, why not let the others live their lives instead of being stuck here?"

"We need them." Rael said.

"No, you don't," Pike said. "We are stubborn and we refuse to be treated as lab rats."

"You are not lab rats." Rael said

"Using us to procreate your kind is exactly lab rats." Pike said.

"We will be bringing the others on here for them to choose." Rael said.

Pike looked over toward Sarah.

"And you agreed to this?" Pike asked.

"I wouldn't be happy if I said no." Sarah asked.

"Captain, may we speak in private?" Kirk asked.

The two went out of the room into a private part of the hall.

"Lieutenant, do you have a better idea?"

"Affirmative," Kirk said. "I can stop them."

Pike raised an eyebrow.

"You? Against twenty plus people?" Pike asked.

"Captain,  my plan is going to bring them down to our level . . ." Kirk paused. "I don't think I will walk away from this. If Spock or the doctor comes with the cure, tell them I died, due to accidental phaser firing." He took out a vile. "I replicated the cure faster than they could." He handed it to the captain. "I will take care of it. Just make sure to get the machine out of the binds."

"Lieutenant, how long have you been planning this?" Pike asked.

"Three hours ago," Kirk said. "Please. Don't. I _need_ to do this. I have to face my Kobyashi Maru."

Pike's face became pale as he nodded.

"Go." Pike said.

Kirk went down the hallway until he vanished. Pike returned into the room. If he knew Spock, the logical Vulcan, then he would be headed this way to the environmental room. Pike entered the room where the door closed behind him. His hand clenched up into a fist. He had to give it a shot even without the Vulcan. He approached the machine only to be caught into a confrontation that became a fight. Ensign Sarah couldn't stand to see her superior without any defense. She let of Fren's hand and got in the way only to be knocked down forcefully to the floor knocking her head on a sharp object. She landed on her side bleeding.

"NO!" Fran shouted.

"She was so young," Pike said, looking down toward the body  that was aging rapidly. "Why is she aging?"

"If she got a injury, she would have died anyway." Rael said.

Fran lunged in the direction of Rael.

"YOU BASTARD!" Fran shouted.

Pike stepped out of the way to let the two fight it out and quite possibly killing each other. Rael smacked Fran against the wall, "You can get another!"  to which the Scalosian replied, "I can never get another of her! Never!" Rael sneered, and then he did what was mostly the most deadly move. He snapped Fran's neck. Fran collasped near the Ensign's body that was becoming dust and her uniform was left behind.

The doors opened.

"Captain," Came Spock into the room. "Do you need any assistance?

"Don't you even think about it." Rael said.

Pike looked over toward Spock then shared a grim nod and turned his head toward Rael. The two made their move. Rael, for being strong, was the one who had the upper hand. The two worked together to force the man out of the room. Rael staggered back with a annoyed expression rubbing his forehead. Spock stepped eyed at the Scalosian.

"Deela to Rael, come here, immediately!" Came a cracky voice. "There is important matters!"

"I am coming, my queen."  Rael said.

"Now, let's get rid of that machine." Pike said.

"Captain, where is the Lieutenant?" Spock asked.

"He is dead." Pike lied.

Eventually they cleared up the environmental machine, Pike handed Spock something into his hands. Spock raised an eyebrow at the human and then Pike took a sip of the vile that Spock had handed him, he at first made a disgusted look, then said, "Mr Spock, a drink to the Enterprise." He held up the empty vile. Spock raised an eyebrow then he opened his hand to see a vile that was the cure then he clunked his vile with the empty one. And then Spock was gone.

Pike excited the room first and headed in the direction that Jim had gone.

Shortly afterwards Spock came following.

"Captain," Spock said. "How long were you in the room?"

"It was Kirk who got it," Pike said. "Before he was killed by a injury."

And then there was a shake, a large tremor, a explosion of the kind. Spock and Pike went in the source of the explosion. Bones was there equally as fast as they were. Bones was there first with his hands on the window, banging on it shouting expletives, and there only English words Spock could hear was "DAMN IT, JIM!"  Pike looked over to see several burned individuals leaned over on their sides curled up who were in unusual attire and the dead center was a slumped over body lacking a right arm  on a stair case. His face was covered in burns. His eyes eyes slowly opened to reveal the baby blue eyes that were bright than anything in the room. Spock froze recognizing those eyes.

"Captain. . ." Spock said, emotionless and detached.

"The lieutenant knew what he was doing. His Kobyashi Maru," Pike drew  Bones away as Nurses came to the sight. Spock was unable to form a reply as he looked over toward the unrecognizable face. "Doctor . . ."

"You knew what he was going to do?" Bones asked.

"I did." Pike said.

Kirk found it amusing: he was in a state similar to Anakin Skywalker left out on the ground of lava burning ashes headed down toward the lava with a severely burned body and one arm remaining. It was eerily similar. Kirk had a smile watching Bones be furious at the captain. The doors came to a gentle open and his eyes briefly closed. He could hear the sounds of coughing, the sounds of feet moving, the sounds of orders being sent around the room, and panic. He could smell the smoke all about the room mostly from himself. For once he was in control of his fate. For once he felt that he had done the right thing. For once he believed his life was going back on track. Everything felt right. He didn't have the hero complex. He was just trying to find his path, his life, and what he was meant to do. He felt like he had been tossed off his road of destiny starting from his birth.

Would he get awards for such a stupid act?

Not likely.

Kirk felt happy in the darkness as he felt a hand place itself on the side of his face.  His eyes forced themselves open where he heard a voice requesting to rest. He heard Bones voice, and a "You, I'll deal with you later, I have patients to get to and you look fine!" Probably the captain. He didn't feel regrets. He was transported to the moment that he had been given the news. The news that made him faint.

"Cadet James T. Kirk," The first Admiral leaned forward with his hands together frowning at the young man. The Vulcan was staring at Kirk's direction, curiously. "It has come to our attention that you have cheated," Kirk cleared his throat, bracing himself, for the news. This time he would be prepared. "And due to your original thinking, you have passed, and you will take command of the _USS Enterprise_. . . You may now relieve Captain  Pike."

There was a man in a wheelchair, Captain Pike, with grayed hair.

"No." Kirk said. 

The scenery changed back to the room where he was given the bad news.

"This is right." Kirk said, hands behind  his back.

The scenery was getting lighter and there were people in the background. He looked over to see the Vulcan was well pleased with himself and he wanted to sucker punch him. Kirk sighed, shaking his head. _Dontyoudaredothattoavulcanyouknowbetter you know better_ , Kirk reminded himself. He lifted his chin up toward the judges of the panel who looked cross. He wanted to hear their answer.

"Cadet James T. Kirk," The first Admiral leaned forward with his hands together frowning at the young man. The Vulcan was staring at Kirk's direction, curiously. "It has come to our attention that you have cheated," Kirk cleared his throat, bracing himself, for the news. This time he would be prepared. "And due to your original thinking, you have passed the Kobyashi Maru."

A sigh of relief escaped the cadet lips.

"Do you have any words to say?" The first admiral asked,.

"I don't believe in a no-scenario," Kirk said. "In defense of the simulation, sirs,how we face death is at least as important as how we face life."

The words echoed back at him.

Familiar, more appropriate words.

"I am proud of you, son."  Came a familiar voice.

Kirk looked over to see his father, clad in the 2233 uniform, smiling proudly.

A lone tear escaped down Kirk's face.

"Dad," Kirk said. "I am sorry."

"Don't be," George said. "You just got yourself out of the gutters!" He patted his son's back. "Now go back."

"But I am done." Kirk said.

"No, you are not," George said. "You need a couple more decades under your belt and then we can talk about crossing over."

"Crossing. . . over?" Kirk raised an eyebrow.

"You're on the bridge, Tiberius."

Kirk looked around.

"This is a memory . . ." Kirk said. "Of the bridge."

He was on the bridge where everyone was frozen rolling the video.

"A memory that you have chosen to live in the last moments of your life," George said. "Kid, going out there and making your prosthetic arm a explosive device was genius and dangerous at the same time!" He had a sigh. "But I do have to say, you have turned out better than your brother. You saved people by risking your life. It took me eleven minutes. It took you an hour."

"Dad . . ." Kirk said.

"Do me a favor and stay." George said.

Kirk's eyes were swelling into tears and he grabbed the man about his height into a hug. 

"I never knew you, this is not fair thisisnotfair thisisnotfair THISISNOTFAIR!" Kirk said, inbetween his tears.

"Life is not fair."  George said, breaking the hug. "The world is not done with Lieutenant James Tiberius Kirk. You are too young to leave. Now go back to the Vulcan."

That mostly stunned the phooy out of Kirk to hear that about a Vulcan FROM HIS FATHER.

"Why go to him?" Kirk asked. "We don't have anything in common and I barely know him!"

"There is something you have to learn," George said. "Not even the universe can separate you two. Your friendship, well, it is very powerful." He smiled and patted on his son's shoulder. "I will be waiting for you." 

Kirk reached his hand out seeing the man vanishing before his eyes.

"DAD!" Kirk shouted.

"I love you, son." George said.

Spock took his hand off Kirk's face once he had believed the man's life had ended. Unexpectedly, his chest started to raise up and down. Spock was bewildered by it. His arched eyebrows raised up and he turned around, appearing to be unfazed by the recent miracle. Bones came into the room with a gurney and Nurse Chapel, "Doctor, the Lieutenant just came back from the dead."

And Kirk's eyes were closed.


	11. The end of a rescue mission

**. . . 2263. . .**

**. . . Georgia . . .**

"CAPTAIN SPOCK, YOU MISSED THE TURN!" Kirk shouted, in horror.

"No, I did not."  Spock said, calmly.

"That man in the yellow shirt on the porch indicates that is the correct house." Kirk said.

"And how would you know that, Commander?" Spock asked.

"Bones Prime told me so," Kirk said. "And I read the most haunted Georgia locations site. This was number ten."

It was illogical to feel angry.

"How is that distinguished?" Spock said.

"Because only one triumvirate in this neighborhood have a friend who once was a captain,"  Kirk said. "I did my research. Turn back, we are going not going to the Victorian street."

Spock noticed there were Victorian houses lined separately from one another. Spock took a left turn and turned back much to Kirk's glee. Spock could remember, five years ago, approaching the burn unit where Kirk's body was covered in burns to the point Spock at first couldn't recognize him if not for those baby blue eyes staring right through him. He remembered the eyes closing and Kirk making it seem it was difficult to stay awake. The conversation they shared was odd but otherwise intriguing.

_"My dad told me to come back." Kirk said._

_"You were dead for one minute and thirty-two seconds." Spock said._

_"To you." Kirk said._

_Spock raised an arched eyebrow._

_"Excuse me?" Spock said._

_"I don't know why. He just said there was a extraordinary friendship with you in my future," Kirk sighed. "I don't even see that in my future."_

_The Vulcan looked back toward the holo-emitter's message. One that indicated a bright future ahead of them, well, what could have been. The message indicated at one point Spock could have been Kirk's first officer and Kirk would have been his captain. It was a token of what could be between them._

_Spock lowered his arched eyebrow._

_"At one point I had a needle in my arm, didn't I." Spock said._

_"Yeah, you did." Kirk said._

_"And why did they threaten me instead of Doctor McCoy?" Spock asked._

_"Because why would I want a angry Vulcan nerve pinching everyone," Kirk said. "Yes, you totally have emotions, you know I can tell."_

_"Negative, I do not." Spock said._

_"Mr Spock, you are half human," Kirk said. "At least some part of you is not cold."_

_"Mr Spock," Bones called. "Visiting hours are over!"_

_"Visiting hours . . ." Kirk said, forcing one eye open and attempted to cock up what remained an eyebrow. "You visiting me? Okay,  here I thought I was dreaming this up."_

_"Do not 'kid' yourself, Lieutenant." Spock replied._

_Kirk had a small smile spreading on his face and Spock turned away walking out of the room._

_"And I was visited by a Vulcan," Kirk said. "I should be special."_

Their friendship had taken its time and tolls to be made. Kirk was not on some of the missions but a majority of them he was. He climbed up to become head of security in three years  (and also because the head of security was killed off by a  sluggish moving lava rock creature) on the _Enterprise_.  Dare he say, the  Vulcan cared? Yes, he dare say that. At one point he got a message from Bones Prime  two years ago revealing the truth and how they played a instrumental role getting him on the ship including some important people. It was  Scotty Prime's help that Scotty was able to get in the transporter room along with a friend of his named Keenser, Scotty Prime also aided in getting Kirk back onto a ship, it was  Spock Prime's part in the story that truly  showed he had no bounds when it came to his friends: he got Pavel Chekov, Bones, Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, M'Benga, and Nurse Chapel onto the _Enterprise_.

Bones Prime took the role of informing Kirk.

And also requested when the five year mission was over to visit a certain address with Commander Spock.

Thanks to Kirk's service, and act of courage that went beyond duty that got him out of the security corps into Star Fleet. Five years of experience in space for a thirty year old male was ideal. Hell, it took an admiral to get him back into Star Fleet rather than the security corps. It was fun, Kirk would admit, to be out in the action. Serving alongside the captain who he looked up to as a father who he never had. Kirk had a new real arm and god did it feel good to not have the prosthetic arm. Kirk had his arm halfway out of the window with a grin on his face.

Fifteen minutes later and several bad turns afterwards, they arrived to the house. They passed the house nine times during the ride and they heard a distinctive male laugh as they did so. Spock got out first and then came out Kirk with a frown on his face. The nine times they passed the house they were bickering about a certain subject regarding landmarks. Kirk could see a rocking chair going back and forth slowly. The hair on the back of Kirk's neck went up as he closed the car door behind him. He could feel as though he were being watched.

"Do you feel that?" Kirk asked.

"Vulcans do not feel." The Vulcan said.

"Do you sense someone is staring at you?" Kirk asked, turning in the direction of Spock with a concerned look.

"Affirmative." Spock said.

Kirk turned away then walked toward the rocky path leading to the front door.

"I never visited a haunted house before." Kirk said.

"A haunted house is usually characterized by spiritual energy that remained from the previous tenants that once lived here and now linger," Spock elaborated. "Sometimes they are forced to stay in their given location because of a traumatic event that lead to their death in that destination." Spock now was by Kirk's side. "I have come across one hundred thirty-two haunted houses and you have come across thirty-two of them."

Kirk raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you were a ghost expert." Kirk said.

"The time when you were made ghost like due to the residual energy machine as was the captain required me to do some research," Spock said. "You were not quite. . . yourself." Kirk appeared to be baffled lowering his eyebrow. "You do not remember?" Kirk replied with, _"I don't remember it ever happening_." Spock nodded. "You do remember waking up with Captain Pike lecturing you about risking your life."

"No, that was Bones." Kirk said.

"I remember very clearly that it was Captain Pike." Spock said.

"Okay, Mr Memory," Kirk said. "Then I was lectured by both of them."

"It seems you tuned out the captain's lecture," Spock said. "As usual."

The two approached the door, and then  Spock pressed the doorbell ringing it three times. They heard a loud "Coming!" from inside and what similar to a slow walk down the stairs that sounded like a slow heartbeat. Spock's hands were behind his back while Kirk had his arms to his side. Kirk looked over toward the rocking chair to notice it had stopped rocking. Kirk turned his head away shaking his head. The door opened to reveal Bones Prime. Bones Prime's eyes  brightened and a smile grew on the older man's face.

"Ah, you brought the Vulcan," Bones Prime said. "Good. We have been waiting." They heard a loud sneeze from above. "Bless you!"

"Who is sick?" Spock asked.

"You are," Bones Prime said. "Scotty's attending a transporter conference. I'll be picking him up tonight." He stepped aside. "Come in, please," The two came in. "Spock's memory has been getting bad lately. But he still remembers us. He has been hanging on longer than I thought."

"When did the symptoms start?" Spock asked.

"Illness or his memory?" Bones Prime asked.

"Memory." Spock said.

"Five years ago."  Bones Prime briefly closed his eyes.  "One hundred sixty-three. . ." Bones Prime opened his eyes. "I don't think he is going to make it through his next Pon farr."

Spock was thirty-three.

Kirk was thirty.

"Pon farr?" Kirk asked.

"Doctor," Spock said. "Can we please not discuss this."

"I do hope you are spared of it in this alternate universe, I really do, Spock." Bones Prime said, closing the door behind the two.

"Is Pon farr some illness?" Kirk said.

"Yes," Bones Prime said. "It is. In a sense." He turned toward the stairs,one hand on his cane, looked in the direction of the staircase. "He is upstairs. . . This damn cold is hitting him hard. I believe he got it from Scotty. Scotty weathered through it like a breeze." They followed him up the stairs. "One thing you should never do: underestimate a Scottsman."

"I did that a lot." Kirk said.

Spock elbow jabbed Kirk.

"Five times the commander got drunk last time on the way to his quarters."  Spock said.

"Ow." Kirk said.

"Wait, _commander_?" Bones Prime said, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes." They said at once.

"I would have expected you to be a captain already," Bones Prime said, turning his head away and resumed walking up the stairs with the two younger men. "Jim climbed fast on the career ladder."

"So is it true?" Kirk asked.

"Which part?" Bones Prime asked.

"All of it," Kirk said. "You knew what would happen if we went to Scalos. You sent us there to save _my_ career."

"You got whales to save, kid," Bones Prime said. "All of it is true."

"Whales?" Spock asked.

"Yes, whales," Bone Prime said. "We used a Klingon starship last time. Don't use one next time without Uhura." They got off the stairs. "She can read Klingon. And I highly recommend that you make sure Chekov doesn't get shot by a bullet. Because they'll take him to a damn hospital. So primitive! So unsanitary. We slingshotted around the sun! Not a good business to save the world by but _it worked."_

"When do _we_ need to save the whales?" Kirk asked.

"2286," Bones Prime said. "I really recommend you are off planet by then."

Spock and Kirk shared  a glance.

"Is Jim here?" Came a older unfamiliar voice for both Spock and Kirk yet it was a familiar voice to Spock.

"He is here, Spock," Bones  Prime opened the door to reveal a ill and elderly Vulcan laid in bed with a kleanex box beside him and a tray that had Plomeek soup.  Bones Prime put the tray on the table out of Spock  Prime's lap. "Both of them."

Spock Prime's eyes were glassy.

"That is not Jim." Spock Prime said.

Kirk looked over toward the shorter man.

"Let me do this, admiral." Kirk said.

Bones Prime nodded.

"Go ahead."  Bones Prime said.

Kirk approached the side of the bed then he sat down on the side wearing a smile as he picked up the man's hand using both hands and looked sincerely toward Spock Prime. He transformed before Spock's eyes into a man comfortable with his older counterpart. The mood in the room had shifted into a endearing kind of one. Bones Prime felt deja vu all over again. The last time someone held Spock's hand was after he had attempted a mind meld with V'ger and that person was Kirk.

"Hello, old friend." The words were familiar, and older to Spock Prime's ears.

Spock Prime looked up to see a old friend in the place of Kirk holding his hand. He was transported one hundred plus years back into the past where he first met Captain James  T. Kirk. A smile came on the older Vulcan's face. His ill eyes had lighten up to a level they hadn't been in years. Before Kirk's eyes, the older Vulcan looked much like he was middle aged and alive.

"Jim," Spock Prime said, emotionally.  "It has been too long."

"It was only yesterday to me." Kirk said.

"I never did say goodbye." Spock Prime said.

"You did a long time ago," Kirk said. "In your little logical way."

"I suppose I did. I have a terrible memory." Spock Prime said.

"Nonsense, Mr Spock,you still remember what I look like!" Kirk said.

"I should have visited you before I went on my Ambassador duties." Spock Prime said.

"Listen, Spock," Kirk said. "You did say goodbye. I haven't been sticking around because you HAVEN'T said goodbye."

"So you are waiting for us?" Spock Prime asked.

Kirk nodded.

"Five years ago I _finally_ found you," Kirk said, holding up five of his fingers with a frown. "So yes, do you know how bad traffic is? You made Genesis look EASY!"

Spock Prime had difficulty laughing.

"Difficult." Spock Prime said, with a sigh of relief.

"Uhura misses you playing your lyre," Kirk said. "They are all waiting for you and the others. I am not going back to my ship without you, Spock, it is not the same without you. I am not leaving without my first officer and the two most instrumental men to my crew."

Spock Prime looked up toward Kirk.

"I am scared of forgetting you." Spock Prime said.

"Long as you have Bones and Scotty,"  Kirk said. "There is _no_ _chance_ you will." He looked over toward  Spock then back to Spock Prime. "I have a friend who is here to give you something that you gave to him." Kirk squeezed the hand of the elder Vukan. "You are going to get better, Spock, mark my words."

Kirk let go of Spock Prime's hand and stepped back.

Spock stepped forward taking out what seemed to be holo-emitter.

Kirk seemed to be confused.

"Hey, weren't we at the doorway to his room?" Kirk asked.

Spock handed the holo-emitter to Spock Prime.

"I believe this belongs to you." Spock said.

Spock Prime looked looked down toward the holo-emitter.

"Thank you . . . But one question," Spock Prime said. "Who are you?"

"I am Captain S'chn T'gai Spock." Spock said.

"You are . . . me . . ." Spock Prime's hands clenched around the holo-emitter and his eyes closed. "Fascinating."

The elder Vulcan fell asleep.

"Kid, how did you know about Genesis?" Bones Prime said.

"Genesis?" Kirk said.

"Yes, _that_." Bones Prime said.

"The book of Genesis is a well known book." Kirk said.

"Doctor," Spock said, turning around. "I believe the commander was possessed by his counterpart."

Bones Prime shook his head.

"I would know if he were haunting us," Bones Prime said. He looked up two the two. "Thank you for coming here. . . This old Vulcan doesn't have much long to live."

"Vulcans have a extended life span."

"Listen to me, you are different from my Spock so don't expect your life to be cut short at one hundred sixty-three years of age," Bones Prime said. "Don't go to the _Enterprise B_ , please,Commander Kirk, your life will surely be cut down if you go there. Your whole life snatched."

The three went out of the room.

"Why are you telling us this?" Spock asked.

"Because I have regrets on my shoulders and Jim is one of them! I coulda' been there! Now,  I am here, I am saving myself a lot of heartache including you, captain, his loss hurts you more than the loss of your mother." Spock's face turned into 'what'. "It practically tore you apart. You were going to purge yourself of your Vulcan half but as a good friend  I came and helped you grief. I lost you once, I wasn't going to lose you again."

Bone Prime went down the stairs.

"Are you . . . by any chance. . . Vulcan mates?"

"Hell no!"

"There is a word for your friendship."

" _T'hy'la_ , ain't it?"

Spock raised an arched eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Then screw that word!" Spock raised both eyebrows up. "That word doesn't apply to us. I do not want to associate myself to those damn healers who nearly ruined my mind getting you out!"

Spock lowered his arched eyebrows.

"But it is not a healer word."

"I don't want to hear that word again from you, captain."

"You care very deeply for my counterpart."

"Because he is my best friend. So of course I do! Someone has to make sure his wish is respected, and I want you two to help me make sure of that." They came to the bottom of the stairs. "Captain, Commander, when Spock dies . . . I want you to have him buried at sea. Somewhere far, far, away, preferably in open space. I will be cremated and Scotty agrees." He turned toward the two men. "He will not have his mind given to the great hall of thought. Is that clear? Because that is in his will."

"Spock is in the position to do that kind of stuff."

"So this is why you live in Georgia. Away from Vulcan."

Bones Prime shook his hand.

"He can't live on Vulcan anyway, he is afraid of messing up your social life."  Bones Prime noted.

_"There is a word for our friendship, doctor." Spock Prime said, taking in the readings of the scenery while Jim was making a captain log outside._

_"What kind is it?" Bones Prime asked._

_"Romantic and platonic." Spock Prime said._

_"I go with platonic." Bones Prime said._

_"I agree." Spock Prime said._

_"What is the word, Mr Spock?" Bones Prime asked, looking away from a unusual furry creature._

_"T'hy'la," Spock Prime replied. "It means friend, brother, and lover."_

_"We are not calling each other T'hy'la," Bones Prime said. "Besides, it sounds like a girls name."_

_"It is not meant for girls, Doctor. It is strictly male." Spock Prime replied._

"That is quite logical." Spock said.

"I hope Spock will share the same friendship you have with yours," Kirk said. "If Mr Spock has Bones under his command."

"Some how I believe he will."  Bones Prime said.

Spock held up his hand and made the Vulcan gesture.

"Live long and prosper." Spock said.

Bones Prime reciprocated.

"Live long and prosper." Bones Prime said.

Spock went out first.

"2286, right?" Kirk asked.

"Yes," Bones Prime said, with a nod.

"Have a good day." Kirk said, and then he walked out.

Bones Prime watched the young man walk after the Vulcan.

"Goodbye,Jim." Bones Prime said, as the screen door closed  watching the two head toward the hovercar.

* * *

**. . . 8:49 PM. .**

**. . . Georgia. . .**

Scotty  Prime was fast asleep in the passenger seat. Bones Prime parked the car near the sidewalk. He had a strange feeling about this night. A feeling he could not quite shake. He had turned the hover car off letting it land gently on its wheels. He had the doors unlocked. Scotty often times fell in the hover car on the way home and waking him up at night made his Scottish accent pretty strong and he would be up a complete twenty-four hours until he crashed on his bed. So he started a different way of going about. Allow the Scottish man to wake up in the middle of the night with a aching neck, get out of the car, and take the backdoor inside. He would later forget that it ever happened.

Bones  Prime was lucky that Scotty  Prime didn't always fall asleep at night in the hovercar.

Bones  Prime closed the door, gently, then headed toward the door.

But Bones Prime stopped halfway noticing the door was ajar,and his entire body felt as though it had stiffen. He had locked the door before leaving to pick up Scotty since the Vulcan was fast asleep and wouldn't wake up until several hours later. The lock was broken. The blood in his face had drained, and his first thought was ' _Spock!',_ second thought was ' _Someone is in the house_ ', and the third thought was ' _I have to make sure Spock is safe and the house is secure_ ' as he speeded toward the small stairs using his cane to lift himself up in a rush. Bones Prime used the cane to carefully open the door.

"Spock?" Bones Prime said.

Bones Prime could feel the hair on his arms raise up.

Bones Prime walked into the building and let the doors shut behind him. He squinted looking over to see the shapes of three figures in the hall turning toward his direction. And then he felt a sudden pain on his head. Bones Prime grip on the cane became loose and he let go falling to his side. Bones Prime's vision became sideways. There was pain coming from his head. He was struck at the head.

"SHIT, JACK, YOU DIDN'T JUST DO THAT TO A OLD MAN!" Came a young and loud obnoxious voice.

And his eyes closed.

_"How long do they have to stick around each other?" Sulu Prime asked._

_"Full twenty-four hours," Bones Prime remarked with a grin watching Spock Prime and Jim sitting beside each other eating their lunch. "Long as they are not twenty-five feet from one another: they will live. Until it wears off, they might have to share the same bed."_

_Sulu Prime had a laugh._

_"Good thing I am not one of them." Sulu Prime said._

_Bones Prime nodded._

_"Say," Bone Prime said. "You are willing to bet they sleep together?"_

_Sulu Prime looked over toward  Bones Prime._

_"Ten Federation credits." Sulu Prime said._

_"Fifteen." Bones Prime said._

_"You got a deal." Sulu Prime shook hands with the doctor._

Smoke drew Bones Prime back into reality followed by a familiar shout, "BONES!" with "WAKE UP!". Bones Prime could feel a pain in his back. _Damn it_ , Bones Prime thought. He searched around for his cane seeing a flickering flame close by. His eyes widened drawing in the scenery around him. The house was engulfed into flames. Bones Prime steadied himself up then he, with remarkable speed, headed toward the stairs. The material blocked the entrance to the house. Bones Prime coughed into his hand heading up the stairs.

 _Spock_.

 **Spock**.

 _ **Spock**_!

He used the rail  as his guide covering his nose with his free hand coughing.

Smoke inhalation is a major cause of death in house fires. He felt a pain coming from his head but he ignored that willingly. Bones Prime would need to get it attended to afterwards. His vision grew dizzy.  His grip on the rail tightened. Bones Prime continued his path to Spock's room. One stair piece collapsed. The living room was burning and the floor above it collapsed. Bones Prime made it to Spock's room where the Vulcan was asleep curled up apparently unaware with his hands grasped around a small item in his hands. On the bedstand was the photograph of the _Enterprise_ crew.  Bones Prime pulled back the blankets over the Vulcan.

"Mr Chekov, I am not done with the cure to get rid of the alien fungus on your foot." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime managed to get the Vulcan up with some difficulty. Bones Prime picked up the photograph of the Enterprise crew with his free hand.

Spock Prime eyes managed to open.

"It is not daylight yet," Spock Prime said. "Doctor McCoy."

"It is Leonard to you." Bones Prime said, heading toward the door.

"In twenty-two hours the solar eclipse will end and the creatures will retreat to their caves." Spock Prime said.

"Ah, dreaming  in the past much?" Bones Prime asked.

"Affirmative,"  Spock Prime said.  The ceiling above the bed gave out collapsing on the bed. "I speak for everyone here. It is quite rude farting."

The stairs were hanging on, barely, covered in flames.

 _Damn it_ , Bones Prime thought, _looks more dangerous than it had before._

"Hold on, and don't let go pointy eared hobgoblin." Bones Prime said.

"Why would I let go when I am about to fall into a river?" Spock Prime said.

"Forget what I said." Bones Prime said.

"Affirmative, captain."  Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime slowly made his way down the stairs. His skin sweating with fear and his eyes were wide. The Vulcan's eyes were closed, slumped against the man's side. Spock did sound a lot better than he had several hours ago in his sickly state. One part of the floor gave out below Bones Prime's foot and he nearly lost his footing. A hand kept him in place. But from where? He looked over in shock and awe, but most confusion. The  hand let go of Bones Prime's shoulder. He could hear his heart beating against his chest.

He came to the last stair step.

Bones Prime coughed.

 _Come on_ , Bones Prime thought, _get Spock the hell outta dodge_!

Bones Prime walked around the rail to the stairs. The wall above the stairs gave out crashing down.

"Excuse you, Doctor McCoy." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime could have laughed at the picture of a sleeping Vulcan thinking the sound of crashing was farting and believing it was coming from a distinctive source but he wasn't laughing. Bones Prime walked round his cane then headed down toward the hallway. That hallway lead to the kitchen which leads to the back door. The large flaming beast was blocking his view. The wall paper was peeling right off. Bones Prime looked both ways considering the risk that they could both die in this firey inferno. No, he wasn't going to allow this to happen.

"Come on,Bones," Came a familiar voice in the direction of the kitchen. "You can do it."

"Jim." Bones Prime said.

Bones Prime stepped forward  narrowly missing the wall material that was falling. 

"Bones, get out of here!" Came a demand. "Now! Walk faster! I know you can go faster. You got it in your bones, doc!"

"That I do." Bones Prime said.

Bones Prime walked, with ease, toward the back door. He saw the window blinds were being scorched, the tables were engulfed into nothingness. Bones Prime looked over toward the Vulcan then back in the direction of the door reaffirming his next choice: _to risk his lif_ e. Jim would have done this if he were here instead. He made it to the door which opened on its own as though someone were behind it.

"Go!" Came a shout.

Bones Prime went out of the blazing building coughing into his free hand. He went around the building hearing a explosion from the kitchen. Uh oh, that went Scotty's scotch. Who were the idiots who thought of destroying the building by making it go ablaze? Bones Prime must have been out for thirty minutes or less. The second explosion jerked the Vulcan awake.

"Leonard, why are we outside?" Spock Prime asked.

"Someone made the damn house catch on fire." Bones Prime said.

"Leonard, you are bleeding!" Spock Prime said.

"I will have that taken care of." Bones Prime said.

There were hover firetrucks parking nearby and a hover ambulance parked nearby. Scotty was behind the yellow tape with a ongoing crowd of people staring at horror at the escalating flames. The firefighters hooked the hose and went after the fire, though the one panicking the most was Spock Prime. Bones Prime noticed his legs felt sore. His back didn't feel so good. He may need to lay down for while while his back recovers.

"We need a paramedic over here!" Spock Prime shouted as they were on the front lawn.

The next was more of a blur, one minute Bones Prime was on the front lawn and the next he was on a stretcher listening to Scotty telling Spock how he had discovered the house was ablaze and he went for help, "I went next door, knocked, and used the doorbell. I had tae point at the blazing house tae get them tae call the firefighters. I was awoken by the smoke comin' from the house. Spock, what happened in there?"

"I do not know, Scott." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime's hand was still gripped on the picture frame. Inside it was a data chip that was infinite and had a lot of data regarding their adventures aboard the Enterprise and with captain James T. Kirk. They made it five years ago because Spock Prime was concerned about forgetting his memories and believed that in two decades he wouldn't have a idea who they were. The house was a gift from Star Fleet due to their 'future service' and 'their great help for tracking down Nero'.

"Leonard, we are okay," Spock Prime reassured Bones Prime. "Rest."

Bones Prime had the picture frame on his chest.

"I couldn't leave Jim behind," Bones Prime said. "Not our _Enterprise_ family."

The older Vulcan took Bones Prime's hand with a soft smile.

"I will see you at the hospital, Leonard." Spock Prime said, and then he applied the nerve pinch to Bones Prime's neck.

Bones Prime's eyes closed.

"Excuse me, sir." Came the Paramedic, loading the resting old man into the ambulance. 

"Are you family to his man?" The second paramedic.

"Yes, we are!" Scotty Prime said.

"Affirmative," Spock Prime agreed. "We are the only ones he has."

And it was the truth.

Being a doctor, a admiral, a friend of the last surviving _Enterprise_ members has its advantages. They treat you like family. They become immediate family. Most of the _Enterprise_ bridge officers viewed the _Enterprise_ as their home away from home. A home they felt comfortable with, cherished, and loved deeply. It was a starship that connected everyone for decades to come. Spock Prime and Scotty Prime got into the ambulance. The truth is: _it makes a long lasting friendship between the three legendary figures from the Prime Universe._

The doors closed behind Spock Prime and Scotty  Prime.

Spock Prime pressed the button on the holo-emitter watching a holographic aged and older figure appear while it sang as he casted a caring smile down toward it.

_"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you . . ."_

And the ambulance flew off to the hospital leaving a trail of red burning marks on the road.

 **The End**.


End file.
